The present disclosure relates generally to devices for cooling beverages. In particular, devices for cooling beverages in cooperation with compressed gas cartridges are described.
Known techniques for cooling beverages are not entirely satisfactory. Some conventional techniques rely on external power sources to run refrigeration devices. Refrigeration devices must be powered, which requires access to a power source. Fixed power sources, like a wall outlet, limit the portability of the refrigeration devices. Portable power sources, like batteries, are expensive and subject to depletion. Refrigeration devices are also relatively large, heavy, and slow. Undesirably, it takes significant time for a room temperature beverage to be cooled with refrigeration devices.
Other current techniques for cooling beverages involve adding ice or pre-cooled materials, such as whisky stones, to a beverage. Utilizing ice requires maintaining a supply of ice at a temperature below the freezing point of water and/or waiting considerable time for water to freeze into ice in a freezer. Transporting ice is not convenient because it must be stored in a cooler and is prone to melting. Ice also dilutes beverages as it melts, which can unsatisfactorily alter the taste of the beverage.
Whisky stones and other pre-cooled materials avoid the beverage dilution problems of ice, but suffer similar drawbacks related to requiring significant time to be cooled to a temperature effective for cooling a beverage. Transporting whisky stones is likewise inconvenient because the whisky stones must be kept at a low temperature in a cooler to be effective to cool a beverage.
Thus, there exists a need for devices to cool beverages that improve upon and advance the design of known techniques for cooling beverages. Examples of new and useful devices for cooling beverages relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below.